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Historic Costume & Textiles Collection

College of Education and Human Ecology
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Donating Objects

Making Contact

The Collection staff is always willing to meet prospective donors to discuss opportunities that will enhance the breadth and depth of the Collection’s holdings. The following points will help explain our collecting and acquisition procedures. However, Campbell Hall is currently undergoing a complete building renovation so by necessity Gift-in-kind donations will be extremely limited until construction is completed and we are moved back into the building. (expected completion 2025) 

If you have period or modern textiles, clothing or accessories, please contact us at strege.2@osu.edu or (614) 292-3090. Please do not drop-off or send objects without first contacting the curator. We want to make sure that your potential gift is properly identified and cared for.

Please provide as much information as possible about the objects in your initial contact with the curator (for example, who made or designed them, who wore them and where they were used). It is especially helpful if you first send photographs of the pieces for consideration since we cannot accept all the objects that are offered. A receipt for the deposit of objects is issued whenever pieces enter the Collection office.

The Acquisition Process

After the initial contact with the curator, donations undergo a review process by the Collection Acquisition Committee to determine their potential usefulness. The committee meets quarterly to review the objects. Those not accepted will be returned to the donor (if so stipulated) or otherwise disposed of in accordance with museum ethics and as the curator sees fit. Limited storage space, duplication of objects in the Collection and the condition of the offered piece(s) affect our decision to accept an object. Donations from OSU faculty and staff will be critically reviewed so as to avoid any conflict of interest.

If items are accepted, the donor will receive a Donor Agreement Form which transfers legal title of the gift to the Collection. Every object accepted undergoes meticulous processing. It is listed, tagged, vacuumed, photographed, numbered and catalogued. Each object is then carefully stored, often with acid-free paper, a padded hanger, or a custom-made mount in an environmentally controlled room.

We estimate that adding each object to the Collection costs $50.00 in time and materials, and maintaining one object costs about $50.00 per year. Conservation services cost about $100.00 per hour. These costs are part of our ongoing responsibility when we accept objects into the collection. We would greatly appreciate your help toward meeting these expenses and hope that you will accompany your donation with a tax deductible cash gift to support the preservation process.

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Welcome

The Historic Costume & Textiles Collection is a scholarly and artistic resource of apparel and textile material culture. The 11,500+ holdings encompass a range of three dimensional objects such as textiles and articles of clothing and accessories for men, women, and children, including national dress costume, from the mid-18th century to contemporary 21st century designers.

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Visitors

Visitors are welcome to tour exhibitions when they are on display in gallery spaces. Gallery hours and location can be found on the visit us page or you may contact us for upcoming information on exhibitions, programs, and events.

Research

The Collection is available to researchers by appointment only, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call or email to make arrangements.

Contact Us

The Historic Costume & Textiles Collection
1787 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210

Telephone: (614) 292-3090
Fax: (614) 688-8133
Email: strege.2@osu.edu

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